Tango

There is no agreement as to the etymology of this word. When it comes to the pre-history of tango everything is shrouded in a dense fog.

The word tango appeared much earlier than the dance. It first appeared outside Argentina, in one of the Canary Islands (Isla de Hierro) and in other parts of America with the meaning of "gathering of blacks to dance to drum music; also the name the Africans gave the drum itself". The dictionary of the Spanish Royal Academy of Letters, 1899 edition, defines Tango as "Fiesta and dance of Negroes or "gente del pueblo" (those that belong to lower socio-economical class) in America"; also a second meaning: "Music for that dance". Here one has to remember that to the Spanish world, America is the whole continent - not just the USA; in this case it refers to the Spanish part of America, excluding USA and Canada.

Here the dictionary gives the doubtful etymology of Latin 'tangir' (to play instruments). Latin ergo tango = I play. It is only natural to try to find a Latin origin to the word, although this etymological line obviously is not related to the Argentinean meaning. The 1914 edition gives the etymology tangir or tangere "to play or to touch". Later editions removed that etymological reference.

The music historian Carlos Vega explains that in Mexico, a dance called tango existed in the 18th century. This dance was done individually or apart, not as a couple. Archives of the Holy Inquisition in Mexico make reference to the "ancient tango" - a mexican song - in 1803.

The Dictionary of the Spanish Royal Academy, edition 1925 defines Tango as before, but without the latin etymology and added: "Dance of high society imported from America at the beginning of this century". Once more Tango traveled all the way from "low-class" to "high-class." It includes two more meaning: "music for this dance" and also "Drum of Honduras". It is only in the 1984 edition that tango is defined as an Argentinean dance.

*It seems that the African origin of the word Tango is accepted by they largest number of erudite investigators. Ricardo Rodriguez reviewed the languages spoken by the slaves brought to Argentina ... tribes from the Congo, the Gulf of Guinea and Southern Sudan. Tango means "closed space," "circle," "any private space to which one must ask permission to enter". The slave traders called Tango the places where black slaves where kept, in Africa as well as in America. The place where slaves where sold also received that name. We could discuss this in more detail but ... I am afraid to bore you with so much detail.

In summary, the most probable origin of the word tango is: closed space where negroes gather to dance; later on the dance itself.

Milonga

Milonga, according to Jose Gobelo (founder of Academia del lunfardo, considered to be an authority when it comes to Tango subjects), states that it is a word of the African Language "Quimbunda", plural of 'Mulonga'. Mulonga in that language means, "word"; Milonga means words, the words of the Payadores. In 1872 when Jose Hernandez published his most famous book "Martin Fierro" (describes in verse the life of a gaucho); the word Milonga had already acquired the meaning of gathering where one can dance. A decade later, 1883, Ventura Lynch wrote: "In the periphery of the city the Milonga is so generalized that is danced in all the gatherings, it can be heard played by guitars, accordions, comb and paper, or played by street musicians with flute, harp and violin". It is also danced in the low-class casinos around the markets of 11 de Septiembre and Constitución, other dances and funerals".

Lunfardo

The same way as lawyers, doctors, physicists, chemists, etc. have their peculiar language and terminology, thieves needed a language that was cryptic, secretive enough to speak among themselves and at the same time was unintelligible for the police or the possible victim of their actions. A language to be used in prison that could not be understood by the guards.

This originated terms and expressions that formed a new language, that of thieves and jail inmates. The secret tongue of "lunfardos", term used by thieves to refer to themselves. In this way watch became "bobo" (dumb-stupid) due to two characteristics, it is very easy to steal and it works all day long non-stop. Lunfardo is rich in Italian dialectal terms and also French words.

The first manifestations of this language appeared in Buenos Aires around 1880 ( police and newspapers archives).

This new terminology invaded the familiar language of the conventillos dwellers and very slowly the language of men (it was not used at home or by women), finally became something characteristic of being Porteño and Argentine. It was spread by theater in its "Sainetes", a peculiar genre that depicts life in conventillos; it was used by poets; but the greatest means of diffusion was not literature but its use in Tango Lyrics.

Some spanish Tango words

abrazo: embrace (as in dance hold).
amague: from amagar. To make a threatening motions. An amague is used as an embellishment either led or done on one's own and may be used before taking a step. An example of an amague may be a beat (frappe) before taking a step.
barrida: sweep. A sweeping motion. One partner's foot sweeps the other's foot. Also called llevada.
barrio: a district, neighborhood.
boleo: from bolear. To throw. A boleo may be executed either high or low. Keeping knees together, with one leg in back, swivel on the supporting leg.
caminar: to walk. The walk is similar to a natural walking step but the ball of the foot touches before the heel. The body and leg must move as a unit so that the body is in balance. Walks should be practiced for balance and fluidity.
corte: cut. In tango corte means cutting the music either by syncopating or holding several beats.
cruzada: cross. A cruzada occurs anytime a foot is crossed in front or in back of the other.
desplazamiento: displacement. Displacing the partner's foot or leg using one's leg or foot.
dibujo: drawing, sketch. A dibujo is done by drawing circles or other small movements on the floor with one's toe.
enganche: hooking, coupling. Occurs when partner wraps leg around the other's leg.
enrosque: from enroscar. To coil, twist. While woman executes a molinete, man spins on one foot, hooking other foot behind the spinning foot.
giro: turn. While woman does molinete, man turns on one foot placing the toe of the foot in front and executing a sharp turn.
llevada: from llevar. To transport (see barrida).
media vuelta: half turn. Usually done when man's right foot and woman's left foot are free. Man steps forward with his right leading woman to take a back step with her left and then leads he to take two steps while turning a half turn.
milonga: may refer to music or the dance which preceded the tango, written in 2/4 time; or may refer to the dance salon or event where people go to dance tango (see below).
milongueros: refers to those frequenting the milongas and considered tango fanatics.
molinete: fan. Molinetes are forward and back ochos (figure 8's) done in a circle.
ocho: eight. Figure eights usually executed with feet together (ankles touching) instead of one foot extended.
ocho atras: ochos backward
pista: dance floor.
salida: Exit, or start. It's interesting that the word for the basic step (a place to start) should be a way to get out of a figure as well.
salida cruzada:the beginning of a pattern with a cross; i.e. side left crossing right foot behind left, or side right crossing left foot behind right.
sandwichito: One partner's foot is sandwiched between the other partner's feet.
sentada: a sitting action.
sacada: see desplazamiento (don't you love glossaries that do that?).
trabada: fastened. It is a lock step - the step that the woman takes when man steps outside with his right foot and then straight forward left, together right. At this point the woman crosses and this cross is referred to as trabada.

Tango Styles

Styles of Argentine Tango
by Stephen Brown

In Buenos Aires and other parts of Argentina, tango is danced in a spectrum of individualistic or personal styles, and many tango dancers who are Argentine do not accept a categorization of their own dancing by any broad stylistic name.  They simply say they are dancing tango, their own style, or the style of their neighborhood or city.  A few confuse the issue further by identifying their own style by a name that other dancers associate with a different style.  Consequently, parsing the commonalities and differences that can be found across the continuum of individual styles to clearly describe the characteristics of various styles is challenging, potentially controversial, and possibly misleading.  Nonetheless, if we regard style to mean an approach to dancing that creates incompatibilities with other approaches and has a sufficient number of adherents who stick firmly to the listed elements, I think it is possible to create rough definitions for a number of distinguishable styles of Argentine tango: salon, milonguero, club, orillero, canyengue, nuevo and fantasia.

Salon-Style Tango
Milonguero-Style Tango
Club-Style Tango
Orillero-Style Tango
Canyengue
Nuevo Tango
Fantasia
Liquid Tango
Nuevo Milonguero
 
Salon-Style Tango
Salon-style tango is typically danced with an upright body posture with the two dancers maintaining separate axes.  The embrace can be close or open, but it is typically offset (with each dancer's center slightly to the right of their partner's center) and in a V (with the woman's left shoulder closer to the man’s right shoulder than her right shoulder is to his left shoulder).  When salon-style is danced in a close embrace, which is common in Buenos Aires, the couple typically loosens their embrace slightly to accomodate the turns and allow the woman to rotate more freely.  When salon-style is danced in an open embrace, which is uncommon in Buenos Aires, the distance between the partners allows the woman to execute her turns more freely and pivot without requiring much independent movement between her hips and torso.  If the woman rotates her hips through the turns independently of her upper torso, the embrace need not be loosened as much.  Salon-style tango is typically danced to the most strongly accented beat of tango music played in 4x4 time, such as DiSarli.  Those who dance salon-style tango to Juan D'Arienzo or Rodolfo Biagi typically ignore the strong ric-tic-tic rhythm that characterizes the music.  Salon-style tango requires that dancers exercise respect for the line of dance.
 

Milonguero-Style Tango
Milonguero-style tango is typically danced with a slightly leaning posture that typically joins the torsos of the two dancers from the tummy through the solar plexus (in an embrace that Argentine's call apilado) to create a merged axis while allowing a little bit of distance between the couple's feet.  The embrace is also typically closed with the woman’s right shoulder as close to her partner's left shoulder as her left shoulder is to his right, and the woman's left arm is often draped behind the man's neck.  Some practitioners of this style suggest that each dancer lean against their partner.  Others say that the lean is more of an illusion in which each partner maintains their own balance, but leans forward just enough to complete the embrace.  The couple maintains a constant upper body contact and does not loosen their embrace to accommodate turns or ochos, which can limit the couple to walking steps and simple ochos until both partners develop the skills for the woman to execute her turns by stepping at an angle rather than pivoting.  Milonguero-style dancers typically respond to the ric-tic-tic rhythm that is prominent in the music of Juan D'Arienzo and Rodolfo Biagi and also found in the playing of many other tango orchestras.  The milonguero style allows for a more elastic approach to the rhythm when dancing to music that has a less insistent ric-tic-tic rhythm, such as that recorded by Di Sarli or Pugliese.  The ocho cortado is one the characteristic figures of milonguero-style tango because it integrates the embrace with rhythmic sensibilities of the style.

Milonguero-style

tango can also be identified as apilado-, cafe-, and confiteria-style tango.  One of the better-known dancers of the style, Tete, refers to his own style of tango as salon.
 

Club-Style Tango
Club-style tango has the rhythmic sensibilities of milonguero-style tango, but it uses the posture, separate axes and embrace of close salon-style tango.  Club-style tango is danced with an upright posture with the two dancers maintaining separate axes while embracing closely in an offset V.  The couple loosens their embrace slightly on their turns to allow the woman to rotate more freely and pivot without requiring much independent movement between her hips and torso.  If the woman rotates her hips through the turns independently of her upper torso, the embrace need not be loosened as much.  Club-style tango is typically danced to the ric-tic-tic rhythm that is prominent in the music of Juan D'Arienzo and Rodolfo Biagi and also is found in the playing of many other tango orchestras.  Club-style tango uses the ocho cortado and other rhythmic figures that are found in milonguero-style tango.  Possibly a rhythmic variation of the salon-style tango, some people regard club-style tango as a mish mash of the salon and milonguero styles rather than a separate style.
 

Orillero-Style Tango
Orillero-style tango is an older style of tango whose name suggests that it may have had its origins in the streets of poor outlying tenements in Buenos Aires.  Later it came to refer to the man dancing around the edge of the woman.  In either case, orillero-style tango was not considered acceptable in the refined salons of central Buenos Aires during the golden age of tango.  To the extent that orillero-style tango is still danced it has become more like salon-style tango.  It is danced with upright body posture with the dancers maintaining separate axes, and the embrace is typically offset in a V and can be either close or open.  In the turns, the woman is allowed to move freely and pivot without requiring much independent movement between her hips and torso.  When orillero-style tango is danced in a close embrace, the couple loosens the embrace slightly to accommodate the turns.  If the woman rotates her hips through the turns independently of her upper torso, the embrace need not be loosened as much.  Orillero-style tango differs from salon-style tango because it adds playful, space-consuming embellishments and figures that do not always respect the line of dance.  Many of the playful elements are executed to the ric-tic-tic rhythm that characterizes the music of Juan D'Arienzo and Rodolfo Biagi.
 

Canyengue
Canyengue is a historical form of tango that was danced in the 1920s and early 30s that may or may not be accurately captured by its current practitioners.  The embrace is close and in an offset V, the dancers typically have bent knees as they move, and the woman does not execute a cross.  At the time canyengue was popular, dresses were long and tight.  Consequently, the steps were short and frequently executed in the ric-tic-tic rhythm that is characteristic of the tango music played by the old guard which included Francisco Lomuto, Francisco Canaro (early in his career), Roberto Firpo, and Juan de Dios Filiberto.  (The modern-era orchestra Los Tubatango plays in the same style.)  Some dancers of canyengue use exaggerated body movements to accent their steps.
 

Nuevo Tango
Nuevo tango is largely a pedagogic approach to tango that emphasizes a structural analysis of the dance in which previously unexplored combinations of steps and new figures can be found.  As as it is frequently danced in an open, loose embrace with a very upright posture with the dancers maintaining their own axes.  Although the advocates of tango nuevo emphasize a new structural analysis over specific figures, some of its most identifiable figures are overturn ochos and change of directions in turns, which are most easily accomplished in a loose, elastic embrace.
 

Fantasia (Show Tango)
Fantasia is danced in tango stage shows.  It originally drew from the idioms of the salon- and orillero-styles of  tango but today also includes elements of nuevo-tango.  Fantasia is danced in an open embrace with exaggerated movements and additional elements (often taken from ballet) that are not part of the social tango vocabulary.  These balletic elements integrate well with salon-style tango because the way a couple relates to each other's space in salon-style tango is very balletic in nature, even though tango movement is more grounded like modern dance.
 

Liquid Tango
Liquid tango is an emerging approach to dancing Argentine tango that is danced with an embrace that shifts between close and open to allow the integration of various styles of tango, particularly the nuevo and club styles.  It is probably premature to consider this a separate style of dancing because the approach is largely compatible with nuevo and doesn't have an identfiably separate group of adherents.
 

Nuevo Milonguero
Nuevo milonguero is a relatively new approach to Argentine tango that adds some nuevo movements such as change of direction in turns, cadenas, and volcadas to milonguero-style tango.  It would probably be a stretch to regard nuevo milonguero a separate style of dancing because the approach is fully compatible with milonguero-style tango and doesn't have an identifiably separate group of adherents.

Some Additional Comments about Style

Which Style is Authentic?
All of these styles have some degree of authenticity because they draw from the practices, idioms, and historical precedents of Argentine tango as it is and was danced in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and other cities in Argentina and Uruguay.  Some styles are more popular in a particular city or in venues within a city, but popularity should not be confused with authenticity.  Fantasia is authentic for stage dancing, but not for social dancing.

Some of the confusion about authencity may be the result of different styles serving different social purposes during the golden age of tango.  Salon-style tango was danced in very nice clubs, where one was expected to get dressed up and dance very slow.  Milonguero-style tango was danced in less formal venues, where dancers got together for the purpose of meeting each other.  Orillero was considered a lower class or street style of tango.  In many cases, the same individual would dance somewhat different styles in different venues or to different music.

Which Styles Have an Open Embrace and Which Have a Close Embrace?
All of the styles except fantasia can be danced in a close embrace.  Although salon- and orillero-style tango can be danced in a open embrace, they are more typically danced in a close embrace in Buenos Aires and other parts of Argentina.  Milonguero- and club-style tango are only danced in a close embrace.  The milonguero-style embrace is also typically closed with the woman's right shoulder as close to her partner's left shoulder as her left shoulder is to his right.  The nuevo embrace is loose and elastic, but many of the movements that are emphasized in tango nuevo can be danced in either the apilado or the close offset V embraces.

Embrace and Frame
Some people distinguish between milonguero and other styles of tango by claiming that the frame in milonguero-style tango is in the woman, and in other styles the frame is created in the arms of the embrace.  Whether the frame is inside the woman or in the arms of the embrace depends largely upon the closeness and softness of the embrace.  A firm, distant embrace places the frame in the arms of the embrace.  As the embrace becomes closer and softer, the frame is moved into the woman's body in all styles.

Which Styles Are Improvisational and Which Are Choreographed?
All of the styles are potentially improvisational including fantasia.  Many instructors of salon-style tango and fantasia emphasize memorized figures in their teaching.  Performance tango is often choreographed.

Which Styles Are Feeling and Which Are Analytical?
Some people look upon improvisation in salon, orillero, fantasia, and nuveo tango as puzzle pieces that are assembled as you dance, and those who teach the structure of tango within these styles can emphasize the analytical nature of the dance.  If these styles are held in the intellectual domain and not moved into the intuitive and emotional domains, they can remain a dry, analytical puzzle.  Dancers and instructors of the milonguero-style tango often emphasize the intuitive and feeling aspects of the style, but it can be approached in an equally analytical manner to the other styles.

Aren't Salon Tango and Fantasia Really the Same?
Salon-style tango and fantasia are distinct styles, but fantasia is an extension of salon-style tango and relies heavily upon salon-style tango for its basic set of movements.  Fantasia adds balletic elements and showy figures and embellishments that are inappropriate for social dancing.  Some tango instructors confuse the two styles for their students by teaching an indistinguishable blend of social and stage figures.

How Are the Milonguero and Club Styles Related?
As described above, the styles are very similar.  Club-style tango was danced in some of the clubs de barrios during the 1950s, while milongueros were dancing somewhat different styles in central Buenos Aires.  These facts suggest that milonguero- and club-style tango may have developed at about the same time.  Edaurado Arquimbau, a leading dancer of club-style tango, claims that several of the better-known milonguero-style dancers took lessons in club-style tango from him during the 1950s.  His claim has led some to raise the possibility that club-style tango may have played an important role in the development of milonguero-style tango.  More likely both milonguero- and club-style tango took their rhythmic elements from the older orillero style tango.

Ric-Tic-Tic Rhythm
Ric-tic-tic is onomatopoeia for the staccato rhythms that are prominent in the music of Juan D'Arienzo, Rodolfo Biagi, and some other golden-era orchestras.  With Biagi on the piano, D'Arienzo's orchestra debuted in the 1930s with the ric-tic-tic rhythm.  Although some describe music with the ric-tic-tic rhythm as 2x4, the characteristic rhythm of this music is actually created through a variation in accented beats that yields an alternation of single-time and double-time rhythms.  For example, the music might be played one and two and, one and two and, one and two and, one and two and (where boldface represents the accented beats), and the dancers might respond slow, slow; quick, quick, slow; slow, slow; quick, quick, slow.  One might express the chararacteristic stacatto rhythm of this music as one, two; ric, tic, tic; one, two; ric, tic, tic.

Some tangos contain more complex rhythms and longer phrases of double-time staccato accents.  Juan D'Arienzo's "El Flete" contains a rhythmic figure of one and two and one and two and, one and two and one and two and, one and two and one and two and, one and two and one and two and.  For the dancer adhering strictly to the accents, that rhythmic figure becomes the demanding and rapid fire slow, pause, slow, pause; quick, quick, quick, quick, slow, pause; slow, slow, slow, slow; quick, quick, quick, quick, slow, pause.  For a dancer taking the music at half speed, the rhythmic figure becomes the familiar slow, pause, slow, pause; quick, quick, quick, quick, slow, pause; slow, slow, slow, slow; quick, quick, quick, quick, slow, pause (where boldface represents the beats used for dancing).